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A Historical and Etymological Dictionary of American Sign Language
The Origin and Evolution of More Than 500 Signs
by Emily Shaw, Yves Delaporte
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Pub Date
Jun 30 2015
| Archive Date
Aug 01 2016
Description
The story of how American Sign Language (ASL) came to be is almost mythic. In the early 19th century, a hearing American reverend, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, met a Deaf French educator, Laurent Clerc, who agreed to come to the United States and help establish the first school in America to use sign language to teach deaf children. The trail of ASL's development meanders at this point. No documentation of early ASL was published until the late 19th century, almost seven decades after the school's founding. While there are many missing pieces in the history of America's sign language, plenty of data exist regarding ASL etymology. This book is the first to collect all known texts featuring illustrations of early ASL and historical images of French Sign Language—langue des signes française (LSF)—and link them with contemporary signs.
Through rigorous study of historical texts, field research in communities throughout France and the U.S., and an in-depth analysis of the cultural groups responsible for the lexicon, authors Emily Shaw and Yves Delaporte present a compelling and detailed account of the origins of over 500 ASL signs, including regional variations. Organized alphabetically by equivalent English glosses, each sign is accompanied by a succinct description of its origin and an LSF sign where appropriate. Featuring an introductory chapter on the history of the development of ASL and the etymological methodology used by the authors, this reference resource breaks new ground in the study of America's sign language.
The story of how American Sign Language (ASL) came to be is almost mythic. In the early 19th century, a hearing American reverend, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, met a Deaf French educator, Laurent Clerc...
Description
The story of how American Sign Language (ASL) came to be is almost mythic. In the early 19th century, a hearing American reverend, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, met a Deaf French educator, Laurent Clerc, who agreed to come to the United States and help establish the first school in America to use sign language to teach deaf children. The trail of ASL's development meanders at this point. No documentation of early ASL was published until the late 19th century, almost seven decades after the school's founding. While there are many missing pieces in the history of America's sign language, plenty of data exist regarding ASL etymology. This book is the first to collect all known texts featuring illustrations of early ASL and historical images of French Sign Language—langue des signes française (LSF)—and link them with contemporary signs.
Through rigorous study of historical texts, field research in communities throughout France and the U.S., and an in-depth analysis of the cultural groups responsible for the lexicon, authors Emily Shaw and Yves Delaporte present a compelling and detailed account of the origins of over 500 ASL signs, including regional variations. Organized alphabetically by equivalent English glosses, each sign is accompanied by a succinct description of its origin and an LSF sign where appropriate. Featuring an introductory chapter on the history of the development of ASL and the etymological methodology used by the authors, this reference resource breaks new ground in the study of America's sign language.
Available Editions
| EDITION |
Hardcover |
| ISBN |
9781563686214 |
| PRICE |
$75.00 (USD)
|
Additional Information
Available Editions
| EDITION |
Hardcover |
| ISBN |
9781563686214 |
| PRICE |
$75.00 (USD)
|
Average rating from 21 members
Featured Reviews
Annie S, Reviewer
A really great resource for the serious student of ASL. While the images/drawings are hard to read and determine proper finger placement, the historical and content information is interesting and well organized. Even if this is not a required school text, it's a really good resource to have on your shelf.
Educator 154382
Detailed analysis of sign, with dictionary entries and additional historical supplements. Impressive.
Gail M, Reviewer
ASL (American Sign Language) is a fascinating subject. I remember even Carl Sagan mentioning in one of his books that a NYTimes reporter had had deaf parents, and consequently ASL was that reporter's first language. One learns language, not a particular vocabulary. If you're interested in learning some ASL, it's here. If you're interested in the history and changes in the language, that is here as well. Very nice treatment. Highly recommended.
Laura L, Librarian
Although I recently took a course in American Sign Language that delved into its history, the introduction to this etymological dictionary went far beyond the scope of my class. This is an erudite work of etymological detection. I am impressed at the connections the authors have made regarding the evolution of ASL from FLS and other influences. A truly fascinating dictionary that belongs in the reference collection of larger public libraries.
One point of clarification that would have been useful to a layman such as myself would be why the Milan decree should impact America at all.
susan t, Reviewer
This was fascinating to learn the various signs and the history of sign language. I really enjoyed reading about the history. I really enjoyed learning the signs. I recommend this book to anyone interested in sign language.
Kim C, Educator
I enjoyed this look at the history of ASL and where the signs came from. I did have difficulty deciphering some of the drawings, but possibly this was due to using a digital copy of the book. The introduction was very informative and I enjoyed learning all the background on ASL. I would recommend this as a supplemental text for ASL classes.
Featured Reviews
Annie S, Reviewer
A really great resource for the serious student of ASL. While the images/drawings are hard to read and determine proper finger placement, the historical and content information is interesting and well organized. Even if this is not a required school text, it's a really good resource to have on your shelf.
Educator 154382
Detailed analysis of sign, with dictionary entries and additional historical supplements. Impressive.
Gail M, Reviewer
ASL (American Sign Language) is a fascinating subject. I remember even Carl Sagan mentioning in one of his books that a NYTimes reporter had had deaf parents, and consequently ASL was that reporter's first language. One learns language, not a particular vocabulary. If you're interested in learning some ASL, it's here. If you're interested in the history and changes in the language, that is here as well. Very nice treatment. Highly recommended.
Laura L, Librarian
Although I recently took a course in American Sign Language that delved into its history, the introduction to this etymological dictionary went far beyond the scope of my class. This is an erudite work of etymological detection. I am impressed at the connections the authors have made regarding the evolution of ASL from FLS and other influences. A truly fascinating dictionary that belongs in the reference collection of larger public libraries.
One point of clarification that would have been useful to a layman such as myself would be why the Milan decree should impact America at all.
susan t, Reviewer
This was fascinating to learn the various signs and the history of sign language. I really enjoyed reading about the history. I really enjoyed learning the signs. I recommend this book to anyone interested in sign language.
Kim C, Educator
I enjoyed this look at the history of ASL and where the signs came from. I did have difficulty deciphering some of the drawings, but possibly this was due to using a digital copy of the book. The introduction was very informative and I enjoyed learning all the background on ASL. I would recommend this as a supplemental text for ASL classes.
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